Miami
John Loves H.O.E.
Playing his three favorite games,
with World Series bracelets in each, “Miami
John” Cernuto had a fairly easy win
in the 17th event of Legends 2003, $500
H.O.E. The veteran pro came to the final
table with the chip lead, gave it up a
couple of times, but was never far behind.
When he got heads up with Chad Brown,
an actor, Cernuto had a nearly 3-1 lead
and quickly powered his way to victory.
H.O.E. consists of rounds of hold’em,
Omaha hi-lo and 7-card stud hi-lo. First
game at the final table was hold’em,
$1,000-$2,000 limits, 21:30 remaining.
Tony Nguyen started with only $1,100.
One away from the big blind, he decided
to go with 10d-5d. He didn’t stand
much chance against Miami John’s
K-10 and was first out on hand six.
The next game was Omaha hi-lo, with $1,500-$3,000
limits. Four players would depart during
this round. Paul Davis was first in line.
With the board showing K-5-2-2, he bet
his last $800 holding Q-Q-J-8. The queens
weren’t good enough because Jim Tarr,
an environmental engineer, paired a king
with A-K-J-10.
Next to go was John Hoang, who had all
his chips in with K-K-10-2. Luis Velador
had pocket aces and caught a third bullet
on fourth street. Then, on hand 25, Brown
had pocket kings. Missing his low, the
best that David Ho could find was pocket
eights, and now four were left. (Ho’s
departure was a disappointment because
it spoiled a potentially great headline:
“Ho Wins H.O.E.”)
The fourth victim of Omaha, in three-way
action, was Velador. He called all in
from the big blind with A-5-7-9 after
Brown raised pre-flop. Then, with the
board showing A-J-4-6, Tarr, holding 2-3-5-6,
had a total free-roll with all kinds of
scoop possibilities. A deuce would give
him a wheel. A trey or a five would give
him a wheel and six-high straight. And
a seven would give him a seven-high straight
along with a nut low. Take your pick.
A deuce came, and Velador cashed out fourth.
A rough count now showed Cernuto in the
lead with about 65k, followed by Brown
with about 35k and Tarr, 15k. After a
few hands, the game reverted to 7-card
stud hi-lo, with $300 antes, a $500 low-card
bring-in, $1,000-$2,000 blinds and limits
of 2-4k.
Tarr
soon went all in for the third time at
the final table with split fours. Miami
John was ready to move in for the kill,
but Tarr got away by hitting a third four
on fifth street. One more time Tarr survived
an all-in encounter, this time with jacks-up.
By
hand 50 the contest had tightened. Brown
had moved into the lead with about 50k
while Cernuto had dipped to around 35k
and Tarr had clawed his way up to nearly
30k. Six hands later Miami John took back
the lead. “I’ll pay you off,”
Brown said reluctantly when Cernuto bet
with 7-7-4-A showing, then scooped with
two pair and an eight low. When the game
changed to hold’em, 3-6k limits,
Cernuto still led with about 45k, then
fell behind Brown, then took it over again.
On hand 70, Cernuto started with K-J,
then made a nut straight on the turn to
leave Tarr with just one chip. Tarr posted
it the next hand in his big blind with
nothing but 7-2. Brown, with K-J, made
a flush when four spades turned up.
Cernuto
now had 85k to Brown’s 30k. After
losing or surrendering several hands in
a row, Brown was down to $5,500 and put
it all in with J-9 suited. “You got
me crushed,” he said when his opponent
turned up A-J. The board came J-3-3-K-K,
and the ace kicker gave the pot and the
title to Miami John.
BIOGRAPHY
Miami John Cernuto said he needed this
win because he had a very disappointing
World Series where he only had a single
cash-out. Tonight’s win also comes
on the heels of his victory in June at
the World’s Heads-up Championship,
where he was sent by Paradise Poker as
part of their “Team of Champions.”
Cernuto loves H.O.E. because it consists
of his three favorite games. He also has
WSOP bracelets in no-limit hold’em,
7-stud eight or better and Omaha high.
The no-limit victory was his biggest to
date, paying $250,000.
Cernuto,
a former air traffic controller, has been
playing poker professionally for 18 years.
Tomorrow he’ll be joined here by
his son Tony, who has his own share of
final table cash-outs. In tonight’s
event, Cernuto said he had a couple of
major setbacks earlier, but quickly recovered
and moved steadily upward from there.
He also praised the Bicycle Casino for
fine-tuning the structure to give more
play to the participants.
Max Shapiro
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